Apparatus for preparing skelp for welding



NOV- 5, 1940 H. G. TxTus 2,220,182 Y PPHTUS FOR PREPALRING `SKELP FORWELDING Y 3 Sheets-Sheei 1 Y mvENTon Hora /'o G. Titus No v. 5, 1940. H.G. T11-us Y APPARATUS FOR PREPARIHG SKLP FOR WELDING Filed Aug. 1'9,V1938 s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR f Nov. 5, 1940. H. G. TlTus l APPARATUSFOR PREPARING SKELP FOR WELDING Filed Aug. 19, 1938 3 SheetS-Shet 3 -QNNW. Elf. wf///////// MN5 A H A. I,.. l l l, Nm. ||.||l I| !IIQMIMMM n nlIIN. WWU Mam? mn mn mh www@ um. uw ll l; f... l- IH fl|| I l .T||||.dwil-lfilil swf@ ha Nh mw NWN Patented Nov. 5, 19,40

UNITED] STATES APPARATUS FOR. PBEPABING SELP FOR wsmmc Horatio G. Titus,Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to The Youngstown Sheet da Tube Company,

Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio V.Application August 19, 1938,Serial No. 225,751

Claims. (Cl. 9th-.24)

This invention relates to the treatment of the edges of metal plates orthe like, such as skelp for the manufacture of tubular products bywelding, prior to the actual welding.

It is customary in the manufacture of tubular products from iiat rolledskelp by electric welding, to form the skelp into a. cylinder with theside edges thereof as rolled, in closely spaced relation. In otherwords, the skelp has been flat lo rolled in single widths. Economies canbe ef- Iected by rolling skelp in multiple widths and then slitting itlongitudinally. Where this has been tried, it has been found that theburrs along 4 the edges of the individual widths resulting Vfrom the'slitting operation have produced a large bead along the Welded seam. Amore serious objection was the fact that the several lengths of skelpproduced by slitting wide strip were not entirely uniform in widthbecause of the imperfect oper- '20 ation of the slitting orshearingapparatus employed. These variations in width prevented accuratealinement of theredges in welding and introduced variations in thecontact pressure between the abutting edges at the welding throat,

introducing objectionable variations in the operation of the machine andthe character of the welded seam. Even when welding skelp rolled insingle width, a considerable bead is formed both inside and outside thepipe and it has been necessaryheretofore in welding formed blanks topass them over a mandrel having rolls or other means thereon forflattening or removing the inner bead. This problem is aggravated if lthe burred edge of skelp rolled in multiple widths is turned inwardly onforming the skelp after slitting to individual width. Similarly, anexcessively large burr is formed exterlorly of the pipe if the burrededge of the slit skelp is turned on the outside of the blank. For thesereasons, it has been impossible, so far as I am aware. to take advantageof the economies resulting from the rolling of skelp in multiple widths.

.I have invented an apparatus for preliminarily treating skelp rolled inmultiple widths and then slit toY size, which avoids production of,

an excessively large bead inside or outside the welded pipe and, inaddition, makesv it possible to dispense entirely with the mandrel whichhas always been necessary heretofore in welding pipe, for working on theinterior bead. My invention also makes it vpossible to impart to theedges ofthe slit skelp any desired contour to facilitate the weldingoperation. In accordance with the invention, I subject the edges of theslit skelp to a trimming operation before the skelp is formed .s into ablank. The trimming operation may conveniently be carried out at thebeginning voi! the forming operation'. During trimming, I confine theskelp against lateral shifting, and grip it firmly across substantiallyits entire width adjai cent the point of trimming. The apparatuspreferred for carrying out the method comprises principally a stand ofpinch rolls and brackets extending inwardly toward the bite thereof,having guides and cutting tools mounted thereon. l0

The following detailed explanation of the invention refers to theaccompanying drawings illustrating the procedure involved and theconstruction of the apparatus. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan viewshowing the slitting operation bywhich skelp rolled in multi- Y ple width is converted into a pluralityof skelp lengths, the width of the individual lengths being determinedby the size of the pipe or tube to be manufactured therefrom; y u

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of my invention with parts in`section along the plane of the skelp passing therethrough.

Fig. 3 is a View partly in section along theline lII--III of Fig. 2 andpartly in elevation; 25V

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IY of Fig. 3, withparts in elevation; and

Fig. 5 is-a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the forming of the fiatskelp into tubular blanks.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, I roll h skelp in multiplewidths as indicated at I0 in accordance with known practice. When therolling of the skelp has been completed, I subject it-to a slittingoperation as shown in Fig. l to subdivide it into separate lengths Il,the width 3'5 of which is determined by the size of the pipe ltobeproduced. Merely by way of example, I

have shown slitters i2l mounted on a common shaft or arbor I3 forperforming the slitting operation. Various forms of slitters arewell-known and any suitable type may be employed for the operationindicated diagrammatically in Fig. 1. 'I'he mill edges indicated at ilare sheared oi! and scrapped so that Aall the individual skelp lengthshave shearededges on both sides. u After slitting, the individual skelplengths are fed successively through the apparatus shown in Figs. 2through 4.- and thence into a. series of forming passes illustrateddiagrammatically in Fig. 5. The `apparatus of Figs. 2, 3 and 4 mayconvenu iently be the initial stand of the forming apparatus indicatedat i5 in Fig. 5, as this stand is usually a flat pass or pinch rollstand. Succeeding stands of the forming pass are indicated at i6, Il andi8, and' operate in the weil-known 4 'manner progressively to bend thedat skelp into cylindrical form to produce a blank for welding to formpipe.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 through 4, the roll stand I5comprises spaced, housings I9 and 20 mounted on any suitable support orfoundation. Lugs 2l formed on o posite sides of the housings support aplate 22 extending therebetween.` Shoes 23 are disposed in pairs onopposite sides of the plate 22. The pair of shoes adjacent each housingprovides ways 24 whereon a bracket 25 isl slidably supported. Gibs 25bolted to the overhanging ends of the bracket engage the lower surfacesof the ways 24 to retain the bracket thereon. The brackets 25 areslotted or recessed as at 27 to receiveguide blocks 28. Each bracket isalso slotted asat 29 slidably to receive a tool holder 30. A gib 3lsecures the holder in position on the bracket while permitting slidingmovement thereon. A cutting tool 32 is adjustably secured to the holder3!) by set screws 33. The set screws traverse a top .plate 34 formingpart of the holder and secured to the lower portion thereof by screws35.

A threaded stud 36 projects rearwardly of the holder 30 through abearing block 31 secured to the side of the bracket 25 by screws 38. Theblock 31 has spaced side walls 39 between which is positioned a wormstud 36. A worm 4I meshing with the wheel 40 is secured to a shaft 42.The shaft 42 is journaled in bearings 43 extending upwardly from theblock 31 and a bearing 44 secured to bracket 25 adjacent one endthereof. A crank 45 secured to the shaft 42 has a handle 46 whereby thetool holder 30 may be adjusted manually along its path of travel. Forgreater accuracy of adjustment, the crank may be provided with apointerand a graduated, circular dial mounted on the bearing 44 to showthe relative position of the edge of the tool.

and reduced necks or arbors 5| journaled in bearmeans, are duplicated onopposite sides and 50 of the rolls have -mill which is also a ilat ingchucks 52 which are slidably mounted in the windows of the housings I9and 20. The body portions of the rolls are held in proper positions onthe arbors 5I by spacing sleeves 53, one of which abuts a shoulder 54,the other of which is engaged by nuts 55 screwed thereagainst on athreaded portion 5S of the arbor.

The cutting tool, its supporting and'adjusting of the stand l5 as bestshown in Figs. 2 and 4. It may also be desirable to provide similar edgetrimming apparatus on the second stand of the forming pinch roll pass,usually, so that two cuts along the edges of the skelp blank may be madeif desirable, to remove the desired thickness of material.

It will be understood that the skelp when entered between the rolls 41and 48 is moved forward thereby, suitable provision being made fordrivingthe rolls' at the desired speed. As the skelp enters the bite ofthe rolls, it is gripped firmly thereby substantially throughout itsentire width. The guides 28 confine the skelp against lateral shifting.The cutting tools 32 engage the edges of the forwardly moving skelpsubstantially at the transverse plane containing the axes of the rolls.As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the bodies 49 a,width of face slightly lessthan the width of the skelp passing therethrough indicated at S.

The initial adjustment of the cutting tools is wheel 40 threaded on theeffected by loosening the screws securing the gibs 26 to the ends of thebrackets, whereupon the latter may be moved manually along the ways 24of the shoes 23. When the screws have again been tightened, a iineadjustment of the cuttingstool toward or from made by turning the crank45. The guide blocks 28 being rigidly secured to the brackets areproperly positioned by movement of the brackets themselves. By means ofthe double adjustment, the cutting tools may be set for trimming variusskelp widths as indicated in chain linesin Fig. 2. It will be understoodthat rolls having .narrower faces than those of rolls 43 and 5l! will bestituted for the latter when trimming narrow skelp.

The cutting tools 32 may have various types of cutting edges. Instead ofthe straight edges perpendicular to the width of the skelp as' shown inthe drawings, the edges may be at an angle or may be curved. Thus byproperly choosing the shape of the cutting edge, the desired contour maybe given to the edges of the skelp so that these edges when brought intoengagement as the result of the forming and welding operations, will theedge of the skelp may bef-f subinitially contact at the outside or theinside or may have fiat abutting-engagement through substantially theirentire area as may be desired.

Numerous advantages of my invention will readily occur to those skilledin the art. In the rst place, any lack of uniformity in the width of theskelp resulting from the slitting is removed so that the edges of thetrimmed skelp when formed and abutted are subjected to uniform pressurethroat without introducing any variations into the operation of thewelding machine by reason of non-uniform contact pressure between theabutting edges. The trimming of the edges removes'the burr resultingfrom slittingpand the accurate machining of the skelp edges makes itpossible to weld them together without producing a large bead along theseam. As already stated, in fact, the size of the bead is such that theuse of a mandrel extending into the tube as it is welded for the purposeof working the interior when being passed through the welding 85 bead,is no longer necessary. Briefly, the inven-I pensive to manufacture andmaintain.

Although I have illustrated and described herein but a preferredpractice and embodiment of the invention, it will be understood thatchanges therein may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for preparing skelp for welding comprising a pair of fixedhousings spaced apart, pinch rolls having cylindrical body portions andnecks extending from 'both ends of the body portions, said necks beingjournaled in said housings, a bracket extending between said rolls andbetween the bodies thereof and one of said housings, a tool holdermounted on said bracket and a tool disposed in said holder for cuttingengagement with an edge of a skelp length passing between said rolls.

2. Apparatus for preparing'skelp for welding comprising a pair of ilxedhousings spaced apart, pinch rolls having cylindrical body portions andnecks extending from both ends of the body portions, said necks ybeingjournaled in said housings, a bracket extending between said rolls andbetween the bodies thereof and one of said housings, a tool holdermounted on said bracket, a tool disposed in said holder for cuttingengagement with an edge of a skelp length passing between said rolls,and means mounting said bracket for movement toward and from said edge.

3. Apparatus for preparingskelp for welding comprising a pair of iixedhousings spaced apart, pinch rolls having cylindrical body portions andnecks extending from both ends of the body portions, said necks beingjournaled in said housings, a bracket extending between said rolls andbetween the bodies thereof and one of said housings, shoes on oppositesides of the plane passing through the axes of said rolls, said bracketbeing mounted on said shoes for movement toward and from the bodyportions of said rolls, and a tool mounted on said bracket adapted tohave cutting engagement with a strip passing through said rolls.

4. Apparatus for preparing skelp for welding comprising a pair of xedhousings spaced apart, pinch rolls having cylindrical body portions andnecks extending from both ends of the body portions, said necks beingjournaled in said housings, a bracket extending between said rolls andbetween the bodies thereof and one of said housings, a tool holder onsaid bracket, means mounting said holder for movement axially of saidrolls, and means for moving said holder.

, 5. Apparatus for preparing skelp for welding comprising a pair offixed housings spaced apart, pinch rolls having cylindrical bodyportions and necks extending from bothy ends Of the body portions, saidnecks being journaled in said housings, a bracket extending between saidrolls and between the bodies thereof and one of said housings, a toolholder on said bracket, means mounting said holder for movement axiallyof said rolls, and means for moving said holder, said last-mentionedmeans including a shaft extending outwardly from said holder along saidbracket.

HORATIO G. TITUS.

